Department of Justice

Albuquerque Felon Sentenced to 92 Months in Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition

ALBUQUERQUE – Manuel Herrera, 51, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 92 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Herrera will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.

Herrera was arrested in Jan. 2017, on an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on Sept. 11, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the indictment, Herrera was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for forgery, aggravated driving while intoxicated, bribery and intimidation of a witness, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

On March 13, 2017, Herrera entered a guilty plea to the indictment.

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado prosecuted the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets violent, repeat offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution offenders with the goal of making communities in New Mexico safer places for people to live and work.